Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Hi! :)

Kai squinted his eyes.

Was this random number seriously bothering him at 4 AM? He grunted, locking and putting his phone away; whoever they were, they had probably texted the wrong person. He went back under the covers, and snuggled closer to Jay, trying to not disturb him.

His phone vibrated again.

At first, ignored it. Until it happened again.

And again.

This time, he grabbed the device, deactivated the notifications- he wasn’t sure why he hadn’t done that before going to sleep, but then again the four of them hadn’t been asleep at first- and placed it back on the ground, too lazy to try and reach for the night table.

When he came back near the others, he smiled, giggling slightly when Jay kissed the top of his head, before letting slumber take over again.

A notification noise popped up, forcing Kai to look away from his breakfast, and check his phone. He didn’t bother to check who had sent the message, directly tapping to see what it was about.

Lloyd was asking if he could take his shirt. He snorted, sending a ‘be careful with it’ to mess with him a bit. He’d been about to lock his phone, when he saw that last night’s random number had kept on sending messages for a long time.

56 messages. Whoever they were, they were pretty slow to understand they got the wrong number.

He scrolled all the way down, eyes widening when he thought he saw his name in the mess.

Going back up, he swallowed the bread and jam he’d been eating, trying to not spit out his food at the words he was seeing.

Kai Smith is such a pretty name.

…He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to react to that. A shiver did crawl down his spine, when he read that all the other messages were about him as well. Some were compliments about this looks, other were recalling him of his fights, telling him how good he had been at that. And how his agility and perfect fighting stance did nothing to tarnish the fascination they had for him.

How erotic it was to see him on TV sometimes.

Creepy much? Kai frowned, trying to not let the weird messages get to him.

These comments and ‘compliments’ were completely inappropriate. And not welcomed.

It was fucked up. When he reviewed briefly what had been sent, he saw that the person had progressively gotten angrier in his way of speaking.

Some had… threats, in them. Others were calling him names. Claiming he wasn't allowed to ignore them, and spoke of what he sucked at, as if they even knew who Kai was. As if they’d ever met him.

…What the hell?!

He thought of telling them to fuck off, but knew this could ignite something he wasn’t looking for. So instead, he scrolled all the way down, thinking of a way to politely tell them that he didn’t want to receive these sorts of messages ever again in his life.

Scrolling all the way down, he thought of a sentence, and how he could approach that without sounding angry or disgusted, when these were clearly the appropriate feelings.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw what had been sent last.

He blinked, and looked at the content again, wanting to be sure he was seeing things right.

A heart emoji with flames had been added as a single text, to go with the unsettling picture.

The latter couldn’t be mistaken.

It was him.

And this, had been taken yesterday. When he’d been eating dinner with Zane at Skylor’s.

The person that had taken the picture had been close. Too close.

And he, a ninja, the fire ninja, hadn’t seen a thing.

What the actual fuck?!

He frowned, trying to calm his nerves- they seemed burning, completely disturbed up at the sudden surreal situation. Kai couldn’t really help the sensation; one where his guts warned him that this was anything but something he was supposed to live. It made his body tense, as he held his phone tight between his hands. There was no number; it was hidden on the bar that usually displayed a name. And he didn’t know how to find out who had sent this shit.

For a moment, he wondered if he should ask for help to find the number. He had the choice after all, between Jay, Nya, Zane, or Pixal.

But he didn’t want to. It might be overreacting. They might even worry, because this bothered him. And things could escalate quickly with that. He couldn’t let that happen; it would bring more troubles on their shoulders, and they really didn’t need that right now.

Therefore, he had to handle that on his own.

He could anyway; this was nothing. Yeah. Nothing to worry about.

After all, he was a celebrity, wasn’t he? These things were supposed to happen at some point. Even if going as far as finding his number was some kind of creepy bullshit to him.

He looked again at the picture, then at the emoji. His eyes weren't able to focus for too long, not able to believe of what he was seeing.

Fuck off. He shouldn’t be worried by something like that, of all things. Sure, it was disturbing, but he supposed not responding to the person would avoid making the problem worse.

He blocked the contact, and made sure to not think of what had just happened again. If anything, this was just a weirdo that would go on their own once they’d see that Kai wasn’t interested in whatever this was about.

He didn't quite see what else he was supposed to do in such a situation.

For now, Kai considered how he would tell Zane he didn’t want to finish his breakfast.

This was until it happened again, a couple of days later.

No picture, or anything alike this time, no. It was just a simple question.

Why did you block me?

At first he was confused, but only for a few minutes, before his brain reminded him what number he had blocked, and the reason behind it.

Kai thought of answering for a moment. Because this is creepy as fuck?!

But that would be indulging in the sick game. And he really didn’t want that- nor did he have the time, or the patience for it.

Should he change number?

Ah, but then, he’d have to say to the others that he had changed it, and explain why he had. It made him feel like he was paranoid, and there would be no doubts the others would think that way as well. Or, the other possibility would be that they would freak out, and try to do anything that were in their powers to find and make sure they wouldn’t send texts again anytime soon.

He decided to simply block the number again, too frustrated from his current situation to bother himself with thinking further about this.

Whoever they were, they probably would understand that him blocking them twice meant that he did not want anything to do with them anyway.

At least this was what he had thought. And he only wished that had been the case.

Because for the following days, his phone just kept receiving tons and tons of messages from that same person, with new numbers and hidden identities every single time. It made Kai want to break his phone, or grab at his hair to contain his anger.

Instead, he just never answered.

And now, whenever the cameras were on him after a mission, he couldn’t get rid of the knowledge that someone seemingly obsessed with him was watching him right now.

He refused interviews. He refused autographs. He always hurried out of a scene, along Pixal, to peacefully go back home, and think of anything but a pair of eyes that was expecting his apparition on any of the big screens.

Master, and the way they had said these things to him? Every time he thought of it, he shivered, and felt the burning sensation of his food coming back up from the sheer idea of it.

No longer having attention on him seemed to do the trick.

The messages he never bothered himself to read became less and less frequent, to a point where he could almost ignore the heavy presence of his phone in his back pocket.

And then one day, it stopped.

Maybe they had understood Kai didn’t enjoy what they’d been doing. Maybe they had grown tired.

Whatever it was, Kai just felt grateful he didn’t have to put up with it for a few weeks.

---------------------------------

Shopping was one of his favorite things to do. Especially when he needed to take a break from some things. Going out on its own could be enough, but changing his mind did work better when he was giving his brain something else to focus on.

He usually did these with Jay, but he was busy with Zane fixing their mechs from their last battle. So he had gone with Cole.

They had essentially been sent by the others to do groceries, but they ended up strolling for much longer, enjoying buying new clothes- though this was for Kai mostly. Cole simply enjoyed going out, watching him dress and try out stuff, and didn’t mind carrying everything since it didn’t weight much to him.

He’d been listening to Cole’s new ideas for training, humming along or wincing whenever the conversation demanded it. And, he wasn’t sure why, but his hair suddenly stood on end, and his blood turned cold, feeling knots forming in his stomach.

Kai swallowed hard, and whipped his head around, stopping in his tracks.

…But there was nothing. Nothing, aside a lot of people. Which, made sense, since they were in a mall.

Then, where had that uneasy and disturbing feeling came from?

“Kai?” Cole placed a hand on his shoulder. “What’s going on?”

“I…” His lips felt dry; he licked them, and took a deep breath. “I don’t really know? I just- I…”

There it is again. He looked around, completely panicked, and walking back until he met Cole’s chest. The latter didn’t hesitate to hold him, watching carefully around as well.

But yet again, there was nothing. And it left the fire ninja utterly frustrated, but also terrified, because he felt as if the one that made him feel that way was too damn good at hiding themselves.

He cursed, and shook his head, looking back at Cole with an apologetic look. “Sorry, I… I don’t know what came over me.”

“Hey, it’s okay.” He gave him a soft smile. “Better safe then sorry, y’know?” With that, he let his gaze observe the crowd one last time, before letting it come back on at Kai. The eyes became reassuring, wanting for him to feel safe.

“What store you wanna go to next?”

Kai felt tears pricking his eyes, but smiled back. He shrugged. “Why don’t’ you choose? I’m… I’m willing to just follow you for now.”

Cole nodded, took his hand, and lead him away from the crowd.

In one of the stores, they had laughed when trying these new glasses made of all shapes and forms. It had been a good time, and he had ended up buying two new pairs of glasses for him and Jay, star-shaped, one blue and one red.

As much of a cliché as this was, they enjoyed their colors much more than they thought they would have. They were fitting them after all, so why not?

Crop-tops, a neat new pair of shoes, and a vest he’d definitely alter later on to give Nya, and they were set to go. Making sure they hadn’t forgotten anything from their primary mission, they sat in a tea shop, ordering some boba to finish the day.

He’d been waiting for Cole to come back from the toilets, mindlessly drinking as he scrolled on his phone through different posts and videos. Until a notification interrupted him.

Unknown number.

Again.

Kai cursed, feeling how his hands started to shake. He didn’t want to think that his freak out from earlier had been for a reason. Damn it, he didn’t want to realize that someone had indeed been looking at him- or worse, following him around as he had been with Cole the whole day.

Fuck. The nerve of this person, to try and mess with a ninja, of all people. What was wrong with them?!

He took a deep breath, and tapped on the message.

Muffling a cry of fear with his hand, his eyes widened at the three images.

One was of him, reading the list Zane had given them for the groceries. Another, he was speaking to the earth ninja, chuckling.

The last one, was of him and Cole, when they had been making out in the fitting room.

A strings of ‘no’s echoed in his head, his breathing becoming ragged at the picture.

Whoever they were, they were fucking disgusting. A pervert- shit. A shiver went down his spine, and he had to bite his lip to not make a scene and sob in public, especially when he was waiting for Cole.

He took deep breaths, forcing his quivering fingers to delete the messages.

What else was he supposed to do? Tell the others?! Master, Cole would kill whoever had done that, and he wouldn’t want to leave until they found out who had done this. He’d probably understand this was the reason Kai had been so tense lately, and why he had flipped out just earlier.

Kai had felt safe, when Cole had worried as well. Not being alone in such a situation was definitely better then what he was trying to do. But telling him would ruin the entire day. They rarely ever got any break, he couldn’t take that away from him. That would just be unfair! And- selfish.

He didn’t want that.

So he blocked that number again, and turned off his phone for now. When Cole came back, he said that it had been out of battery, and had laughed as he said that they could only rely on the black ninja’s device for the rest of the day.

Then came the letters, a couple of weeks later.

Kai usually received some from his parents, and ads. Nothing really interesting there too. But when that red envelop ended up in his hands, with the Monastery’s address and his name written in this fancy way he usually never saw outside of historical papers, he had wondered if this hadn’t been from another land, or maybe the Serpentines, for some reason.

Some of these guys were pretty old after all.

He couldn’t hold in his cry, when instead, what he found was a picture of him in a nightclub. From two months ago, if he recalled correctly. And, First Master, a heart had been drawn around him, in red. Disgust turned his stomach upside down, making him swallow hard as he tried to keep composure.

His own heart started racing, its beat becoming extremely loud in his ears. He took a deep breath, throwing the envelop and picture on his desk. His hands felt- tainted, by the fact that he had touched the exact same stuff as the one that had sent the messages last time.

…Is this serious? Am I really being stalked?

He rushed to the bathroom, immediately wanting to wash his hands from that awful and disgusting feeling. Fuck, this was the last thing he wanted. Fuck. He had heard stories about celebrities going through this. Of fans putting suspicious stuff on the paper to poison, for whatever twisted reason.

He grabbed at the sink, feeling his world tilting slightly. This felt like a panic attack, and he hadn’t had one in months. He was starting to feel better, he had gotten his powers back, and now- now-

“Damn it. Come on, come on.” He closed his eyes, that ringing noise making everything around him feeling too small, his own senses trying to suffocate him. He was sweating, he was sure of it, and his body was slowly starting to shake, forcing him to grit his teeth as his hands tightened their hold on the sink, not wanting to fall down or loose footing.

There wasn’t any fighting possible when this happened. There wasn’t anything to shield himself from, either, because everything was coming from inside. All he could do, was take it, agree that his body needed the breakdown, so it would be easier to put everything back together afterwards.

So he breathed. Long, almost painfully ragged movements, that caused his chest to ache. Through the crumbling of his world, he breathed. As frustrated as he was from having a simple letter causing this, he knew this wasn’t only the reason for this moment of doubt about his life, and about himself. Master, he knew this wouldn’t be the last time.

But he wanted to get through this. So he would.

So he breathed.

Then, it was right there.

That final exhale that made his head light, and relieved the pressure from his chest. Through his mouth, he greedily took as much air as possible now that he was free to do so, and lightened his hold on the sink- his hands were hurting there, but it was fine.

He was fine.

This had just been a letter. A stupid, awful letter that he would burn as soon as all of this was over.

To remind himself of that, and to remind himself of who he was, he summoned his powers, gently, and warmed his limbs and core with it.

Thank Master he was the fire ninja, of all things.

With a sigh, he opened his eyes, seeing the smoke that escaped his mouth, and the way his hair had slightly started to burn at the tip. He groaned, annoyed that meant he’d have to adjust his haircut again.

A reason he always wore them that way, was to avoid the fire to spread on his clothes. It had happened multiple times, and he was too lazy to deal with the damage every time.

Although yes, he did really like that haircut. For now, he simply passed his hand between his strands, and stretched, before doing as he had promised his mind during that small crisis.

Going back to his desk, he grabbed a tissue before touching that stuff again, and threw everything in a separate bag. Then, he walked with it outside the Monastery, went down of a few stairs, before lighting that trash on fire.

He stayed there, until it became nothing but ashes, making sure that it would all turn to dust, and to witness the waste flying away in the wind.

The red ninja hugged himself, feeling that cold get to him easier now that he had calmed down. He sighed, feeling the condensation warm the bottom of his face.

At least he breathed better.

“Here.”

Kai blinked, feeling his coat placed around him.

Oh, he’d been in his pjs. And it was winter.

He glanced at Jay, who had joined him. He himself wore his own coat, meaning he must’ve seen Kai rushing outside like a madman.

At least this wasn’t the first time any of them acted irrationally when troubled. He could count on the others to be understanding.

He wore the cloth correctly, watching as the blue ninja looked at the ashes that had been left behind. He hummed. “Man, I gotta remember I can use you for burning away trash.”

Kai snorted. “What the fuck, dude.”

“What?” Jay wasn’t able to hide his own grin. “It’s practical!”

The other didn’t say anything, instead placing his head on top of his shoulder. As a response, Jay passed an arm around the fire ninja, making sure they could huddle closer.

“You wanna talk about it?”

“Not really.” He sighed, mist escaping him. “It might just be me overreacting, to be honest.”

“Um…” Jay bit his lower lip. “I can’t say for sure, since I don’t know what it’s about. But you seemed pretty distressed.”

“Stop munching on your lips like that.” Kai said, obviously wanting to change subject. “Aren’t you supposed to put cream there?”

“Yeah, I have some still here.” He licked his lips. “But it feels weird when I’m kissing any of you.”

“I don’t find it weird.” And to prove his point, he reached out to cup Jay’s cheek, before kissing him delicately. The other seemed surprised at first, but quickly leaned into the feeling, enjoying the natural warmth that was shared to him.

This sort of comfort lightened the weight on the fire ninja’s shoulders. Whoever had started to bother him would never try to get to him anyway. Only insane people tried that- or, enemies of theirs. And to be honest, Kai doubted any of their enemy could start harassing him- or any of them, for that matter.

At least, he couldn’t see any of them able to do that.

Jay broke the kiss, placing both hands on top of the other’s shoulders. “You okay?”

Oh, he realized he was shaking. He took a deep breath, lying through gritted teeth. “Probably the cold.”

The freckled face showed that he knew he wasn’t telling the truth with a frown, but he nodded nonetheless, aware asking more about it now wouldn’t help. “Alright. Let’s go back in, then.”

As they did, the same questions came back to his mind, although softer this time. Why couldn't he just tell the others? What harm could that cause?

They'd worry, of course, but at least they'd help him.

His hold on Jay’s hand tightened; that was the thing. He'd been helped too many times lately.

First from the shitty trauma from having his powers sucked out of him by that damned snake lady. Then the fact that he'd been so tired, Master knew why. So tired, the others had been taking care of him like he was some kind- of fragile soul, that needed attending at all times.

It sucked to be that way. It really did.

He had to do this himself. For fuck’s sake, he was a ninja. He couldn't let himself be intimidated by stupid and weird people. It wasn't even the first time it had happened.

… Well it had never been like that. Definitely not. None of his fans had started taking these kinds of up-close pictures, told him he was erotic when he fought- this was still creeping him out to think about.

Once inside, though, when he shared another kiss with Jay, it was as if his worries decided to no longer bother him. He sighed, happily, letting his forehead fall on the other’s shoulder.

At least, he was safe in the Monastery.

A sort of paranoia settled within him for the following days. Going out became challenging, and so he figured out he’d rather spend hours on games- on his own, most of the times. It was a weird change of demeanor, but one that could be explained by the rather frequent mood swings they could all experience in this life of fighting crime.

When they did manage get him out, he’d check where they would go, the people in a room with them, or look over his shoulder more often then not. Dark alleys seemed to have become his worst enemies, since hiding in there was just the easiest thing to do. He hadn’t noticed anything wrong in his date with Zane, so he waned to make sure he’d be as careful as possible.

Master, he never thought he could become scared of his own shadow. He discovered so when he’d been in the streets at night, with Cole, and jumped out of fear when he thought it had been someone following them. His heart had been racing for hours afterwards, that day.

Because what if whoever this was actually had the means to harm him? Or to harm his the people he cared about? What if this obsession of theirs was because they had somehow gotten aware that the four of them dated each other? FSM, what if it was some sort of weirdo after him because they thought that him being with all of them meant that he’d be an easy target. He had heard and seen things, he knew people could go way too far sometimes, not matter their motives. And it really terrified him.

Kai had hoped many times that this was noting but a joke. A sick, and twisted joke, but one nonetheless. Something that would get boring for them.

And he had actually started to think so.

Then one day, as he’d been waiting for Cole to finish showering after a mission so they could play, someone had sent him an audio message.

He’d been hesitant at first on listening to it. The number was one he didn’t recognize once again. And… it hadn’t seem that threatening, despite it being too long.

Who in their right mind would record an audio that went on for thirty minutes?!

But he still wanted to know. He couldn’t help it. What if this was something important? There was no way it could be, but- damn it, he was just curious. So he grabbed his headphones, and pressed play.

When he had understood what he was listening to, and a message appeared with the word ‘slut’ right under the audio, he didn’t hesitate, and threw his phone to the ground, smashed it under his shoe, before using his powers to burn his phone away.

Cole came out at this moment, mouth agape at the sight of the fire ninja burning away his phone of all things. He spluttered, unsure of how to react.

“K- Kai?!” The other whipped around, guilt written all over his red face. “What happened?!”

“A virus.” He lied bluntly, unable to think of something else. “And I- I kinda freaked out.”

The earth ninja hesitated. Was he supposed to say that he knew he was lying, and risk him closing off or telling him to piss off? Or was he supposed to just go along with the lie?

The brunet’s eyes were pleading him to not ask anything, though. Aware that Cole knew that he had just lied.

Not wanting to worsen his stress, he walked to Kai, placing both hands on his arms as a comfort. He felt how they stiffened, before relaxing at the familiar hold.

Cole’s eyes were full of worry, but understanding. Kai couldn’t help the tears that came up at the sight, before he sighed, hiding his face in the chest in front of him. The other hugged him, telling words of reassurance as the fire ninja shakily hugged back.

One thing was for sure; Kai didn’t think he’d ever go back in a hotel for the rest of his days.

Another thing this whole shit show had caused, was him being less and less able to share his partners’ sexual needs.

They understood, of course, when he wouldn’t join them, or when he’d just go to sleep instead of spending time like that. But Kai did not. Out of the four, he was usually the one engaging in their many intercourse, always happy to share this intimacy with the others.

It really hadn’t been the case lately. And as soon as he had really noticed that, and how weird it was, he decided to suck it up, and come back have fun in bed. He thought that, it would come back on its own, and that all he needed was a little boost.

“Master, Kai.” Jay snickered. “You're such a slut.”

His eyes snapped open at that, body quickly turning tense. Jay noticed it, immediately backing away to give him some space.

“You okay?”

“I…” He wasn't sure what to answer. His lips felt completely dry, and cold sweat had started to stick to his body- much different from the one that had started to form with the sex.

Jay waited patiently, sitting at the edge of the bed to make sure Kai had enough to breath as much as he needed.

Slut. It was horrible to be reminded of the audio he had received on his phone like this.

Oh First Master of Spinjitzu. He felt like he wanted to die from the embarrassment and pure horror that made his hair stand on end, and turned his blood so cold.

He hid his mouth behind a hand, frowning.

Why were these coming to annoy him now, of all moments? With a sigh, he turned towards Jay, shaking his head.

“Sorry. I… I don't know what came over me.” He gave a sad smile, looking at his hands. He felt cold. “I must've been such a turn off lately.”

“Don't apologize for that.” Jay's eyes were so soft suddenly, and comprehensive. “There's nothing wrong with a mood switch. I completely understand.”

Kai gave a thankful nod, before getting up. He needed to change his mind, somehow. “Wanna grab something to eat? I'm famished, actually.”

Jay grinned. “Always.”

---------------------------------------

Weeks passed by. Nothing related to that happened again, aside his own mind wanting to trouble him as much as it could. He even started to forget about it, if one did not count the nightmares of him waking up with a stranger standing in his room.

But he could deal with that. He could deal with the suffocating dread that came with the plagued images, forcing him to take deep breaths, and making him feel that cold sweat he hated more then anything, because that could mean that he was scared, and- he really didn’t like that.

So he lied to his mind. Said that this was nothing. And that he just had to forget about it.

These went away on their own, after a couple of months. Then more time went by, of him alternating sleeping with the ninjas to just feel a warm and protecting presence with him- though, the one next to him was always cooler then him, obviously. But it did not change the sublime effect it had on his him.

Until their argument, of course.

It had started as simple jokes while him, Jay, Cole, and Zane, enjoying ice cream in front of a comedic TV show before the weekend- even though weekends weren’t really a thing for them, since apparently, not only did a ninja never give up, but he also never rested.

Lloyd had been in his room, reading comics, and both Nya and Pixal had went on their own errands, probably to fight late night crimes as a date, like they usually enjoyed.

The four of them had been chatting as the story went on, not that interested in what was going on, only here to change their minds and enjoy the peace. But then, the discussion became about their missions.

Now, this wasn’t uncommon at all. Nor were their quite unhealthy games of blaming each other, or pointing out who had screwed up their missions the most. This one was more of a Cole, Jay and Kai thing, although it did happen for Zane to tune-in and correct their misremembered events and whatnot.

One mission they had completely screwed up had been the gas leak from a couple months ago, when Kai still hadn’t been in the right headspace- which was no excuse, when people’s lives were at risk. They had been warned multiple times by the Commissioner to be careful of their fights against the Mechanic and his goons. But they ultimately hadn’t listened, the communication buzzing in the back of their earpieces as they had been underground.

Too late, Zane had tried to warn them again, until Cole broke one pipe.

As soon as he did, the nindroid had ordered them to not use his powers. Unfortunately, only Cole and Jay had been with him in that moment, while he had stayed with Pixal in another room, as she kept battling against the virus the Mechanic had left there before running away like the coward he was, letting his minions take care of the ninjas.

But he had panicked, at one point. He’d be thrown against the ground, and- he wasn’t sure why, but the images of his worst nightmares had flashed before his eyes. Ones that got mixed with the guy’s weapon and the idea that, yes, he could die. And he could die right now, if he didn’t do anything.

So he used his powers as a flamethrower, burning the villain’s face. He had ran away from him, and out of the room, letting the gas flow in quickly. A few flames had been left behind from the red ninja’s use of powers, setting everything off in the factory.

Fortunately, the Samurai was made of titanium, protecting her and Kai from any important damage. The ones they’d been fighting, however, hadn’t been that lucky.

All of them had been sent to the hospital, and two still rested in the coma as of now.

“You are not even supposed to use your powers that way.” Cole sighed, wanting to pass his hand in his locks- until he remembered he wore his bonnet. “We’ve always been taught to not harm if possible.”

“Yeah, well-” He swallowed thick, looking away from them. “I had no choice-”

“You should be able to protect yourself from a few punches without your powers, or get rid of the enemy’s weapon. The factory exploding made dozens of innocent people hurt just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Cole shook his head. “This wasn’t a good move, Kai-”

“What the fuck is this, exactly?! Huh?!” Kai got up, so furious his fists were shaking, and smoke was escaping his mouth. “Is this ‘the day we blame Kai for the shit that went down’?!”

“What? No!”

“People are safe! And the only ones badly hurt are the bad guys. Why should we care?!”

The blue ninja nodded. “Kai’s right. Why do we worry about these shits?”

“You are not helping Jay.” Cole straightened up, opening his palm as he spoke. “It matters, because we swore to protect people, no matter who they were. There’s a reason Sensei Wu was mad at us that day.”

“Oh come on! They worked with the Mechanic!” Kai rolled his eyes. “They were assholes!”

“Kai, we have powers! It’s our responsibility to use them thoughtfully. And based on the videos, you were not.”

“Videos?” Kai’s eye twitched, and his face darkened. “What videos?”

“The surveillance tape.” Jay raised his eyebrows, seemingly surprised. “Didn’t you see them in the group chat?”

“N- no, I…” He winced, looking away from Cole at that. “I just got a new phone, and I didn’t reinstall the apps I used to have yet.”

He’d been too scared to. Despite feeling better, there was still this slight anxiety that came whenever he would use his phone. Master, activating his number again had been such a challenge already, because whoever they were, they had his number. And as much as he wanted to change it, well, he still did not think he’d be able to explain it to the others.

“Kai.” It was Cole again, making him huff. “If you don’t feel alright, you can always take a break. You know that, right?”

“Oh my-” Kai threw his hands in the air, rolling his eyes. “I’m fine! What’s gotten into all of you?!”

“You mean what’s gotten into you? This isn’t the first time you use excessively your powers dude. If it is because of what Aspheera did-”

“Don’t bring that up.” Kai pointed his finger at the earth ninja, accusatory. “Don’t.”

The white ninja intervened. “We are not. We have just noticed your unusual behavior as of late, and are worried. We don’t want you to force on yourself in any way.”

Kai clenched his teeth, restricting himself from cursing at them. They clearly didn’t have any bad intentions, and he was glad for them to worry, but not when he was still feeling- like this!

Damn it! He’d been doing better! Why were they bringing this up?! “How about you guys stop forcing things I don’t wanna talk about out of me, huh?!” He passed a hand on his tired face, swallowing hard. He then murmured, more to himself. “This sucks. I need some fresh air.”

Cole’s eyebrows saddened, and he got up too. “C’mon Kai, don’t be like that. I-”

“Shut up.” He huffed, smoke getting out again of his boiling body. “I’m going out.”

Not letting them had the time to catch up, or add anything else, as he left the room.

He went to grab a glass of water; his body was feeling too hot, and he didn’t want to cause his hair to light up on fire again, or burn some parts of his sweatshirt. It felt fresh in his throat, helping him decrease the heat he’d been feeling in his body. Steam escaped his mouth when he sighed.

Master, a cold drink in the middle of the night always helped.

…Actually, now that drinking was in his mind, he was pretty sure a drink would be great right now.

When he got out of his kitchen, he faced Zane, seemingly having been walking towards where he was. They both blinked, before Kai huffed again, ready to go around Zane to leave this place.

“Kai, wait!”

He didn’t, until he reached the doors leading to the courtyard and the ice ninja caught his hand. He stopped, looking ahead. When it was obvious Zane wouldn’t let go, he sighed, and turned around slowly to face him.

“What do you want?”

The icy eyes seemed hesitant about what could be the right words, before he spoke. “Cole was worried. Jay and I were as well, he was simply the one to speak up.” He let go of Kai’s wrist when it became clear that he would listen, allowing him to cross his arms as he waited for this chat to be over.

Knowing well he wouldn’t get him to stay, and certainly not confess right now, Zane brought his hands together, keeping them in the red ninja’s vision. “We love you, Kai. We never wanted you to feel pressured by our actions.”

“Kinda late for that.” At the broken look it earned him, Kai winced, before giving up a sigh, and relaxing his stance. “Sorry, I just… I’ve been an ass too, lately, I know that. And I know I’ve been demanding for no reason-”

“Don’t apologize for that.” The cool voice was soft, bringing him that sense of security he yearned for more often then not. “You know we don’t mind this in the slightest.”

“Yeah, it’s just… I need to blow off some steam somehow.”

The nindroid’s expression shifted to one of worry. Any of them saying this sentence could hide some bad ideas, which could lead to troubles pretty easily. “Kai-”

“No. it’s nice of you to worry, Zane. But I’m not…” He sighed. “I just need a drink, or something.”

Zane didn’t say anything, looking at the fire ninja with a careful gaze. Finally, he sighed, placing both hands on his arms delicately. Kai shuddered, but welcomed the touch, feeling his muscles relax a little after how their argue left him.

“Alright then. Just be careful.” He tilted his head. “Will you be back soon?”

“Yeah, sure.” Kai shrugged. “Probably in a couple of hours- not including the Monastery’s stairs.” He smirked when Zane chuckled, before the nindroid deposed a kiss on his forehead. That made him blush lightly, unable to stop that slight peak of his heartbeat. In a good way, this time.

“Don’t take too long. I’ll be awake, waiting for you.”

Kai gave a genuine smile, before walking away, to his room. There would be no way he’d get out in his gi, and he really needed some better makeup if he was to show his face outside.

------------------------------

Green Bean: You’re not going to get drunk, are you?

The question made him tense.

He had sworn never doing that to him again after he found him in that bar. And, well, he couldn’t lie to him. Not anymore, and… never again.

Fire head: Something light.

Fire head: Don’t worry. I don’t drink that much anymore. One glass at best.

It took a few seconds, Kai spent tapping his foot against the car’s floor, before Lloyd finally gave him an answer.

Green Bean: You promise?

Master. Kai tried not to pay attention to how tears at the edge of his eyes stung. He still felt incredibly guilty over making Lloyd witness him that way last time.

Fire head: I promise.

After a few minutes, of Kai trying his best to keep his eyes on the road, and him considering going back just for his little brother, a response popped up.

Green Bean: Okay. Be careful. Come back soon.

Kai sent a thumbs-up, not able to think of anything else right now, and locked his phone away with a heavy sigh.

The bar was as noisy and lively as he remembered it to be. There weren’t any criminals, or at least none he could recognize, meaning there wouldn’t be anyone to recognize him.

It wasn’t like the neighborhood was a bad one, more-so that it was one usually useful to be left alone if one wanted to have his business done in peace. Definitely not as bad as Dareth’s own place, though.

He looked around, trying to find the person he’d been looking for. When he saw her, he smiled, and waved at her, trying to get her attention. “Hey Jenn!”

The lady turned around, eyes widening when she saw Kai. She quirked an eyebrow, leaning on her arm against the island, her frown very obvious at the sight of the fire ninja in the bar.

She had changed, since last time. Her long hair had a new color, a bright orange, arranged in a ponytail, and her colorful pink makeup gave her this appearance he found nothing but comforting.

“Kai.” Her harsh tone made him wince, making him reconsider his presence here briefly. “I thought I’d never see you here again.”

The ‘I thought we had agreed you’d never come back here’ floated in the air. He sighed, taking a seat and crossing his arms. “Well, a guy needs a drink from time to time.”

Jenn huffed, but didn’t add anything to that. He was an adult, he made his own choices, and there was nothing she could do about it- as much as she wanted to. Kai chuckled at her expression. “Hey come on. I haven’t gotten drunk since that time. And, I haven’t been here in a while! You even got your boobs while I was gone.”

She threw her head back, a genuine and surprised laugh escaping her. When people looked at her, she had to raise a hand in front of her mouth to try and stiffen her laugh- though this was a poor attempt. Kai chuckled softly with her, unable to fight off the contagious feeling.

After a few moments, she shook her head with a sigh. “I did, yes.” She then looked at Kai, genuine gratitude shining in her deep brown eyes. “Thank you so much, for that. Half of it was thanks to the money you gave me at the time.”

“It’s no trouble.” He winked. “I’m always up to help a damsel in distress.”

Jenn rolled her eyes playfully, placing down a glass she had finished cleaning. “Alright, fuck off.” She cleared her throat, but her smile was still there. “What will it be for tonight?”

“Well, I promised my little brother one glass, so…” He sighed dramatically. “I guess I’ll have to stay true to my word.”

“Oh my.” She grinned, clearly amused. “The boy is becoming a man? Responsibility is finally catching up to you!”

“Whatever.” Kai tapped his fingers on the wood. “I just don’t want him to worry any further.”

“Alright then. One glass for you. And don’t worry about paying.” She winked. “This one’s on me.”

Kai stretched, and sighed. “You’re too good with me.”

She hummed, preparing his drink; something that wouldn’t be too strong, to avoid a hangover for tomorrow morning. “So what happened, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I…” He groaned, hiding his face behind his hands. “I haven’t been doing so well, lately. It’s just…” He blew some air, removing his hands and taking a deep breath. “I’ve been… troubled, I guess. By something I should’ve known would happen, but is just… it’s just disturbing.” He swallowed hard. “I don’t think I want to go into details.”

“It’s alright.” She placed his drink in front of him. “What about the others? Did you talk to them about it?”

He let go of a bitter chuckle. “No. I did not. And it kinda blew tonight, because I hurt more then I should’ve some of our enemies- when it clearly wasn’t necessary.” And he knew that. He knew that very well. But that didn’t mean he regretted it, and he did briefly wonder if that made him a terrible person because he thought that way.

Especially when this had been caused by him projecting his fear on someone that had nothing to do with it. Although this had been a fight.

“Why not go to Skylor’s? She might understand better what you’re going through. Since, y’know, I’m just a bartender.”

They knew each other, of course. Had hang out together multiple times. The noodle shop’s owner insisted on Jenn changing her job, had even proposed to kick her boss in the balls if she ever needed someone to convince that awful guy to let her go.

“Because she’d judge me drinking my problems away harder then you?” He chuckled. “And probably call Nya on me.”

And because my stalker knows I go to this place, somehow.

“Hmm. Maybe I need to actually meet your sister so I can just do that next time.”

Kai winced. “Please don’t. I came here because I really needed to change my mind.” He then smiled sweetly, batting his eyelashes. “And to see you as well.”

“Don’t bother next time. I’m quitting this jobs in not too long.”

His eyes widened, a big smile appearing on his face. “Wait. Are you serious?” When she nodded, he couldn’t help catching her hands in his own. “You got that job at that big restaurant?” She nodded again with a hum, and he gasped. “I’m so happy for you Jenn!” He let go of her, crossing his arms back on the table. “I really hope you’ll come to enjoy this new job.”

She smiled, a bit of blush coloring her face and ears. “Thanks, Kai. Can’t wait to see you and your team there as well.” She grinned, before going to grab a glass when some people asked for her.

The ninja kept on his silly smile, genuinely happy at the news. He had seen Jenn’s boss twice, and he honestly wished he never had. An asshole that thought he was better then everyone.

His phone vibrated in his back pocket, startling him. It did again, making him freeze, because he just couldn’t help imagining what the messages awaiting for him could be this time. And- he didn’t want to see or witness that shit again. But it felt inevitable, all the time.

Swallowing thick, he reached for the device, placing it in his trembling hands.

The message was from Jay, showing off he had beaten Kai’s best record in the new game they had bought.

Relief washed over him, making him almost feel lightheaded. And this wasn’t normal, was it? To feel that disturbed so often, to the point where something that should be normal to him made him so fucking anxious all the time, turning the usual tasks more complicated then they should be.

A shiver ran down his spine, just like this time when out with Cole. Hurriedly, he looked around him, not trying to do so discreetly, only wanting to calm the way his heart had started to race.

Damn it. Maybe leaving the Monastery had been a bad idea. Master, he felt so stupid. Hadn’t he avoided going out because some freak was apparently following him everywhere? And to think he had decided to drive with his red car today, because he couldn’t fucking think for a single second to make sure he didn’t make the wrong choices.

He looked back at the table, taking deep breaths.

Why was this happening to him?! Who was toying with him like that?! Sending him messages, taking pictures in his private life, recording him during his intimate moments…

This was so fucked up.

…Now, Kai thought that warning the others about it could’ve been a good idea. It would’ve avoided tonight’s conflict, and it would’ve allowed him to stop not feeling safe wherever he went. Especially when he would be on his own.

Biting his lower lip, he hurriedly started to type a message to Zane, wanting to explain everything.

…But he didn’t know what to say. How to start.

Some creep’s been texting me and taking pictures of me wherever I went. Oh, and he also recorded me and Jay when we had sex in that hotel last time. Remember that? Yeah, I don’t think I’m ever going to forget that either, but for the wrong reasons.

This all sounded so stupid. So unlike him. He knew that if he sent that to Zane, he’d be there in a few minutes, even less, just to get him back.

The image did warm his heart a little. He liked the idea of being pampered by the others, even if it had become annoying lately.

“You okay there?”

Kai looked up, at Jenn. She seemed worried, and- Kai realized he’d been gripping on the table harshly, to the point where his knuckles had turned white. And he must’ve been looking at his phone for a while now, for sure.

He shook his head. “No. I’m thinking about earlier. I should…” He frowned. “I should apologize first.”

“Well-”

She didn’t get to finish her thought, as people screamed in joy at the back. One guy then got up, his empty glass in his hand, and yelled.

“A glass for everyone!”

Everyone looked at them: they seemed like a group of teens completely drunk.

Kai snorted, then chuckled, while Jenn sighed when people in the bar cheered. He heard her mutter a curse under her breath, as she immediately got to work.

He laughed at that. “Good luck! Try to think of the bill they’re gonna have to deal with.”

For any response, she answered with a pretty rude gesture of her hand.

When she wasn’t looking at him anymore, he went back inside his mind, knee bouncing from the stress his thoughts were giving him.

At the end of the day, he felt like this whole thing shouldn’t worry him that much. He was a ninja! And not only that, but a celebrity, invited to big parties, and shows. He was a public image! People loved him, and there were no doubts that some had… some kinds of thoughts about him, as disturbing as it felt.

Hadn’t he hoped for that at some point? What had changed? Why would this be any different?

The fact that they had my number. And a recording of me during sex.

He still couldn’t believe he had heard that the last time. It was- horrible. And plain on terrifying. It meant they had known where he’d been about to go, and had placed mics beforehand.

Fucking Master. Were there mics or cameras in their home?

Okay wow. I’m becoming completely paranoid. This was Jay’s thing. He didn’t need that; one guy like that was enough in the team.

He wasn’t here to think about this stuff anyway. He wasn’t here to think at all, actually.

Grabbing his glass, he drank, and didn’t stop until there was nothing left.

The burning sensation was a welcomed one. Fuck, he felt ashamed of admitting it, but he had missed drinking. Just as much as he missed smoking, he supposed. Granted, this was doing nothing but fucking up his health, but damn it if it didn’t make him just better about sensations around him.

That pleasant buzz, that grew in his brain. The warmth that invaded his chest, and then his cheeks, nothing but soft, especially in these cold times. He sighed, seeing some light smoke leaving his mouth.

…Days when he thought like that usually meant he felt pretty low. To think he was supposed to have gotten off drinking and smoking.

Though the idea of going back on drinking at least occasionally did tempt him. He felt as though it could help with a lot of things.

And this is exactly why you shouldn’t, Kai. Cole’s words came back to his mind. One day it’s just a glass, in a few it’ll be the whole fucking bottle. Seriously, do you really think this is a good idea?

He groaned. He was right, of course. And it wasn’t like they never drank; they did, when they went out, to nightclubs, parties, or even restaurants.

He supposed he was just being dramatic, because he had a lot on his shoulders.

Like a stalker I should try to get rid of.

Even though it had been a while since he had received anything from them.

…Though he hadn’t had any phone to receive the messages for a while. Could he then consider the situation taken care of?

An accusatory finger appeared in front of his face, out of nowhere.

“Where’s ya drink?”

Kai blinked, looking at the red face slurring next to him. It was the guy that had offered everyone a drink. He noticed Jenn, not too far, who had finished giving the free drinks a while ago, and was now busy making this guy’s companions pay for the bill.

And since Kai had said he only wanted one drink, she hadn’t given him any.

He looked back at the man, shrugging. “Uh… I don’t want it-”

“Nonsense!” The guy slammed his own drink in front of the ninja with a solemn expression, looking nothing but silly with how red he was. “Here! Drink! I’m offeri’, so you take!”

Not really wanting to anger someone that was completely out of it, Kai sniffled, grimacing at the smell of the guy, and grabbed the glass. “Alright. I will.”

Jenn came back in front of him with a frown. “Come on Kai, you don’t have to.”

“I’ll just drink half of it if it means he leaves me alone.” He brought the glass to his lips, drinking until, as he promised, only half of it was left. He licked his lips, then grinned at the man. “There!”

The latter nodded, happy with himself, before hobbling back with his friends to the exit, singing something he understood nothing of. Kai shook his head, before pushing the glass to the side.

When he looked back at Jenn, he was met with a disapproving look. She huffed. “Didn’t you promise your brother that you wouldn’t do more then one?”

“It’s one and a half.” He shrugged. “I honestly didn’t want the guy to be pissed off over nothing when he’s not in control of his common sense.”

“Sure, but this is beer. And you don’t have to force yourself of something if it’s to please someone Kai. It’s the worst thing to do, actually.”

“C’mon.” Kai smirked. “Two free drinks? How can I say no?”

She flicked his forehead, a grave look on her face. “When you’re not supposed to take more then one, that’s how.”

“Ugh. You’re being dramatic. I’m not that lightweight.”

Seeing his face already becoming red, Jenn pursed her lips. “I’d definitely argue with that.” She opened the drawer to place these guys’ payments, speaking as she counted. “You’re not driving, are you?”

“My car drives on its own when it’s necessary.” He chuckled. “Borg’s special license allows that.”

“Is that… legal?”

“Um…” He shrugged. “I don’t really know?” He scratched his head. “I mean, Cyrus is kinda the one in charge of all technologies and stuff, as well as providing the materials for Ninjago City, so… probably a special pass for us ninjas?”

“Are you sure of what you’re saying right now?” When a thin line was all that answered her, she sighed and shook her head. “Don’t you at least want to wait for someone to pick you up?”

He could contact Zane for that. He knew he should. But… “A single drink is not enough to make me drunk, come on.”

“One and half a beer.” She placed her hand in front of him, forcing him to blink, and look up at her. Her stern face made him focus a bit, and he winced when she spoke again. “Call someone, Kai. It’s for the best. Please?”

Kai groaned, before shaking his head. “Ugh, whatever.” He took his phone, and typed in a message. He then turned the screen so she could see what he did; he had contacted someone nicknamed ‘Frostbite’. “There, see? I did it.”

Connecting the dots, she did slightly wonder if the ice ninja wouldn’t be mad to be bothered at such late hours. Until she remembered that, well, he was a nindroid; the titanium ninja, nonetheless. From the nindroids she had seen around, they rarely needed any sleep.

Jenn nodded, satisfied. “Great.” She grabbed another cup when someone walked in, but still spoke to the almost drunk fire ninja. “Do you want something to eat? Or water?”

“No, it’s okay.” He got up, stretching. “I think I’ll wait for Zane by the car. A bit of fresh air wouldn’t hurt me.”

“It definitely wouldn’t.”

Kai grinned, pushing the chair he was sitting on away. “Until next time, then. Take care, Jenn!” He winked. “I’ll see you at that big restaurant.”

“Be careful. See you around Kai!” She waved to him, watching as Kai wobbled out of the bar. She scrunched her nose at the sight, a bit reassured when she saw that he had no troubles with the door.

Maybe he wasn’t used to drinking this much now. But he had been right; it had only been one and a half, it shouldn’t have looked like that on him. She had already witnessed him drinking four glasses one after the other, without any visible consequences. Well, if one placed aside his outbursts, and how he’d look for a fight as much as he could.

She sighed; she was so glad these were her last weeks in this place. She couldn’t wait to work as a maître d’ for that fancy place. It would be a welcoming change, and it might even discourage Kai from coming back here in the future.

And with enough chance, that would force the fire ninja to go out with his boyfriends next time, instead of on his own. She really didn’t like seeing him that way.

After a while, of her mostly drying glasses to have some empty space for the next ones, Jenn grabbed the half of Kai’s drink that had been left last, emptying it in the sink. She’d been about to open the faucet at the same time, when she heard a tinkering sound.

With a frown, she looked at what had fallen out of the drink.

Something white, that kept dissolving there.

Her eyes widened, and she let go of the glass. It shattered against the floor, bringing the customers’ attention on her, but she didn’t give a flying fuck, hurrying out of the bar to catch up to Kai.

Wearing heels made her almost trip, but she managed to get to his car- a red one, of course, because the fire ninja coming incognito somewhere did not mean he had to do so without his signature color. Plus, this was the only one with the unusual Borg license plate.

She came close, and looked through the window.

No one was inside.

With a shudder, she walked back slowly, only stopping when her heel crushed something on the way.

Jenn looked down, taking a sharp breath when she saw a red phone on the floor. It had already been broken, but surely her heel hadn’t made it better when she had walked on it.

“Fuck.” She bent down, grabbing it, and looked at the flame charm attached on it. This left no doubt as to who it belonged to. Jenn looked around, and screamed Kai’s name. She rushed over the end of the street, calling for him again, then back near to his car.

But no one was there.

“Shit. Shit shit shit!” She had taken too long to clean that one fucking glass, and now Kai was gone.

She rushed back to the bar, wanting to grab her phone and call Skylor. She didn’t know who else to call aside the police, but she wasn’t sure they’d do anything quickly enough. Whereas Skylor knew the ninjas, and could contact them to act fast- especially when the one missing was one of them.

As she had gotten her hands on her phone, the front doors opened. Instead of Kai, like her sudden hope had made her believe, she saw a tall man, wearing all white and pink, making his way towards her- not without scanning the whole room first, clearly looking for someone.

He stood out, like that. Dressed in these clothes she would’ve associated to something her 50 years old father would wear. And somehow, it fitted him, making him look elegant.

He turned towards her, looking at Jenn with these icy eyes. If she had any doubt this could be the white ninja, the gaze alone definitely made it clear. He gave her a soft smile.

“Hello!” He joined his hands together, a position that let her know he was a bit anxious at the current place he stood in. “I’m looking for Kai.”